History Main / MadonnaWhoreComplex

A pattern of thought that divides [[AlwaysFemale female humanity]] into [[ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld two mutually exclusive categories]]: Madonnas and Whores. The respectable and honorable Madonna figure, possessing and protecting social virtue ([[AllWomenArePrudes and deploring sexuality]]) is an object of worship and everything that all women should aspire to be. However, sex is not part of this; [[InsaneTrollLogic any woman who fails to live up to the Madonna standard is a disgusting and contemptible Whore]] driven exclusively by [[AllWomenAreLustful sexual desire]] and (therefore) [[SexIsEvil lacking in morality and humanity]]. An active sex life makes one a Whore... unless one is married, and sometimes even then.

The Madonna-Whore Complex (AKA "Virgin–Whore Complex") was described by UsefulNotes/SigmundFreud on the basis of some of his clinical work. Specifically, he noticed the difficulty some men had in having sexual relations with their wives because they differentiated women into these categories. Those men were aroused by prostitutes and mistresses but not their wives because, paradoxically, [[RomanceAndSexualitySeparation they respected the latter too much]] (they viewed them as fellow humans; i.e., not whores) to be sexually attracted to them.

Occasionally this is enforced by TheScourgeOfGod.

Compare and contrast TheThreeFacesOfEve, as it creates a FalseDichotomy between the Seductress and the other archetypes, either represents the Child archetype as "[[TheIngenue pure]] and [[ChildrenAreInnocent innocent]]" while ignores the Wife archetype (the one who is sexually active ''and'' morally good/"pure"), or makes the Wife archetype as the one who is well-aware of her "Madonna" role and [[IncorruptiblePurePureness will never corrupt it]], while depicts the Child as too oblivious to realize her [[InnocentFanserviceGirl immodesty]] and [[FilleFatale "inappropriate"]] [[InnocentlyInsensitive actions]] which increase her risk of [[CorruptTheCutie being corrupted]]. That said, many Madonnas ''are'' wives, though they are more often mothers or sisters, or other women with close emotional ties to whoever considers them a Madonna.

* TragicallyDisabledLoveInterest: When disabled character is portrayed as either [[DisabledMeansHelpless helpless]] or [[GeniusCripple ner]][[NerdsAreVirgins dy]], it can guarantee her virginity. To qualify for this trope, the disability needs to be {{played for drama}} or {{played for tragedy}}

* DisposableSexWorker: Another usual fate of "whores" is become expendable.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': An interesting spin on this is featured in Poison Ivy's [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE5PrettyPoison debut episode]], as she pretends to be the former while secretly being the latter. Publicly she's Pamela Isley, a sweet, caring woman beside herself with grief over her comatose fiancee Harvey Dent. Behind closed doors she's Poison Ivy, an unhinged seductress who put Harvey in said coma in the first place.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] someone thinking Music/{{Madonna}} acts like a whore... though that would probably be an example of this.

* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Rorschach is implied to think this way, owing in part to his rather unfortunate upbringing and [[SonOfAWhore his mother having been a prostitute]], and in part to his love of BlackAndWhiteMorality. Pretty much every time Rorschach describes a female character, they're either an untouched innocent (Kitty Genovese or Blaire Roche) or a whore beneath contempt (both Silk Spectres, his landlady). It's not hard to imagine his own issues with sex and gender aren't factors as well.

** In the ''Film/FreddyGotFingered'' review, a crossover with [[WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh Oancitizen]], he suggests that Gord's LoveInterest is the perfect synthesis of Madonna and Whore: she's obsessed with phallic objects and blowjobs, but they never have any other kind of sex, and being a [[DisabledLoveInterest disabled]] nurse plays her as being nurturing but also needing to be nurtured herself.

* ''Film/KungPowEnterTheFist'': Ling invokes this on herself. On the one hand, she plays the pious and quiet girl, but on the other she's shown teasing the Chosen One multiple times on the sly throughout the film. This culminates one intimate scene, where she throws caution to the wind and decides to have sex with him. However, before she even gets to the point of sex, she flips between undressing and redressing herself while worrying about what the Chosen One would think of her if she gives into her lust (including thinking he'll see her as a slut ''just for suggesting the sex'', and he's clearly ogling her the whole time).

*** Ivy herself also serves as a foil to the character’s previous civilian identity, Dr. Pamela Isley. In contrast to Ivy’s highly sexualized beauty and interest in men (at least as tools to get what she wants), Isley had something of a homely appearance and no romantic aspirations. While both were extremely dedicated to the plant world, Isley was a passionate scientist trying to prevent extinction, while Ivy used living plants for evil purposes.

* DisabledLoveInterest: Because someone with disability are portrayed as either [[DisabledMeansHelpless helpless]] or [[GeniusCripple ner]][[NerdsAreVirgins dy]], so it can guaranteed her virginity.

* ReluctantFanserviceGirl: If any kind of {{Fanservice}} apply to her, she is likely to be this one.

* DisabledLoveInterest: Because someone with disability are portrayed as either [[DisabledMeansHelpless helpless]] or [[DisabledMeansHelpless snark]], so it can guaranteed her virginity.

-->-- '''Creator/RebeccaWest'''